Agnes Callard on why we must revive Socratic virtue

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Agnes Callard on why we must revive Socratic virtue

At an improbable soirée in 1987, Mike Tyson was making aggressive sexual advances to the young model Naomi Campbell when the septuagenarian philosopher A.J. Ayer stepped in to demand that the boxer desist. “Do you know who I am? I’m the heavyweight champion of the world,” snarled Tyson. “And I,” replied Ayer, “am the former Wykeham Professor of Logic. We are both pre-eminent in our fields. I suggest we talk about this like rational men.” And whi…